From the moment Robert Woods declared himself eligible for the 2013 NFL Draft, a label was affixed to his name.

Scouts immediately tagged him as the most "NFL-ready" receiver in the draft, and through the scouting combine, his pro day at USC, and the individual workouts he conducted for several teams, no one wavered in that belief.

Woods, they said, will be able to play from day one in the NFL no matter what team chooses him.

Scouts and personnel directors typically miss on their player evaluations as much as they hit, it's just the fickle nature of the scouting beast. But on Woods, they appear to have been right on, and thankfully for the Bills, he was available when their turn in the second round came up in April.

"That was one of the things we talked about when he got here, him being able to come in right away and contribute," said Bills running back Fred Jackson. "I talked to Ike (Hilliard, the Bills' receivers coach) and he said, 'This guy's going to be really good for us.' "

Two games into his NFL career, Woods is proving everyone correct.

In his NFL debut against New England, Woods caught only one pass, but it went for an 18-yard touchdown, his and fellow rookie quarterback EJ Manuel's first in the NFL. Last week against Carolina, Woods caught four balls for 68 yards, and he made an excellent reception of a two-point conversion pass.

"I just play my game, go out there and be a good target for him, try to be open and be at the right spot at the right time because the ball is always going to be there," Woods said.

Woods, as modest as he is talented, shrugged his shoulders when reminded of what the scouts were saying about him before the draft.

"Nothing has changed," he said, referring to the game. "I'm still running routes, still catching the ball, so that's my mindset. It's still football, the game I've been playing since I was six years old. Of course it's faster and a lot more physical, but the basics are still the same."

He's just handling those basics a bit better than your average rookie receiver. The position is more involved than simply running patterns and catching passes, especially at the NFL level. You have to know what you're doing in terms of understanding coverages and how to alter routes, recognizing when you are the hot target on a blitz, and setting up routes to ensure the successful route of a teammate. You also have to be a willing and able blocker both on running plays and for a fellow receiver after he's made a catch.

Woods' transition has been greatly accelerated because he played in a big-time college environment, in a pro-style offense at USC. With the Trojans he started his last 38 games and left school after his junior year as the program's all-time leader with 252 receptions, while his 2,930 receiving yards are sixth-most.

"That's a benefit coming from USC, and playing all the guys in the Pac-12," he said. "And what helps me is the Pac-12 is a passing, spread offense league, and we get to see some of the best corners and they translate over to the NFL."

Stevie Johnson played in the SEC for Kentucky, and while the Wildcats aren't nearly as successful as USC, the spread offense Johnson played in, and the high level of competition he faced, helped him when he came to Buffalo as a seventh-round pick in 2008.

"You can come from any division or team, if you've got talent you've got a talent, but the system he was in, the pro system, it was easier for him to pick up things," said Johnson. "Credit to him, he was ready when he came here. I'm excited about him. He's shown he can play against these elite NFL cornerbacks."

Bills fans should be excited about watching the two rookies — Woods and Manuel — growing up together in this Buffalo offense. Who knows where it could lead? Jim Kelly and Andre Reed joined the team one year apart in the mid-1980s, and spent the next decade-plus playing pitch and catch together as one of the NFL's all-time great duos.

"That's definitely going to be a tandem for a long time," said Jackson. "You can tell they trust each other and they have that feel for what each other wants to get done."

Such as the two-point conversion against the Panthers. Manuel had a tight window to throw into, and he had to fire it low. Woods knew this, drove to the perfect spot, and went down to his knees to make the catch.

"That's one of our go-to plays in a situation like that," said Woods. "The ball is low just for protection of a linebacker or safety coming over."

Manuel said, "I thought Woody was going to make a great play and that's what he did. That ball has to be thrown low and away from the defender so he got off the ball great and got inside and made a great catch."

Just what the Bills expected from him.

"I think a lot of times people get labeled and Robert was labeled as the guy who, from pre-draft and post-draft status, (was) most ready," said Marrone. "I think you have to be careful when you say that in this league because you really don't know until you get in here. Robert has been a professional in that he has performed on Sundays; that's what puts him in the category of yes, he's ready."